Harpist on Port Townsend-Keystone ferry silenced after 17 years

[icymist]

PORT TOWNSEND - David Michael's Celtic harp has been silenced after more than 17 years of soothing ferry passengers traveling between Port Townsend and Keystone on Whidbey Island.

"They shut me down for exactly the same thing they hired me for 32 years ago," said Michael, who unsuccessfully negotiated last week for a contract with a ferry system lawyer.

<snip>

State ferries officials say they had no choice but to fairly enforce security policies that were stepped up in the aftermath of terrorist attacks on the East Coast on Sept. 11, 2001.

<snip>

Michael said the port captain sent out a memo two weeks ago, saying that ferry captains could no longer allow him to leave his harp on board while he disembarked. He was also forbidden to sell CDs.
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I just love the terror attacks on 9/11 as one of the reasons that, six years later, the ferries ban a (my God!) a harpist!!! Also, check this other article in this paper about DHS expanding it's facility in Port Angeles from five agents to fifty.

Homeland Security rises on Peninsula: Big building, property sought in Port Angeles-Sequim area

[Ian David]

1. The terrorists hate us for our harp music. n/t

[MadMaddie]

2. This is extreme bullshit.....

If they would simply do their jobs instead of trying to garner more power the US would be safe.

[uppityperson]

3. David Michael's harp is dangerous?

Oh this isn't going to go over well. Thanks for the notice.

I can see not selling CD's unless he goes through the process of whatever a person selling stuff has to do, but remove the harp at each end of the run? It seems that it would take only a moment for a ferry person to look in it and make sure it wasn't full of exploding stuff.

[alfredo]

14. Queen Elizabeth 1 had all the harpist killed.

[qnr]

22. They look suspiciously like bows I guess. n/t

[Gregorian]

4. Hey, it's a service economy! Guns beat harps.

Harps are for hippies! Guns are American. You can't hold up a liquor store with a harp.

Sorry. It's just that the first time I heard the phrase "service economy" back in 1986, I just knew it was all downhill. And sure enough, I was right.

[aquart]

5. More unnecessary legal hysteria.

Sometimes I think GW Bush is Batman villain with a grudge against the travel and tourism industry.

[Spinzonner]

6. Somebody was pulling strings in DHS

[Mr_Jefferson_24]

7. I feel much safer now, knowing we've finally gotten...

...around to taking down the REAL terrorists. I say burn the ferry harp players at the stake -- BURN THEM ALL!!!!!

[alarimer]

8. At least he wasn't playing an accordion

Now THAT'S a dangerous instrument.

[TygrBright]

9. Or bagpipes!! Bagpipes are officially a weapon! n/t

[Ishoutandscream2]

10. The harpist for the Who? Port Townsend must be devastated

they've lost Keith Moon, John Entwhistle, and now the harpist. "Hope I die before I get old" indeed.

[icymist]

11. That's PORT Townsend, not Pete Townsend!

I don't know if the harpist in question played for The Who or not.

[Ishoutandscream2]

12. Wait, I'm confused

That instrument I keep hearing on Who's Next - that's the harpist, right? If it was, then I'm bummed. I love the Who, and I think Port Townsend is one of the greatest guitarists and songwriters of all time.

To the harpist - RIP. Say hello to Jim, Jimi, John, Brian, George, Keith, and all the rest. Enjoy rock and roll heaven.

[uppityperson]

13. Whose Who's who's? Next? First? Last?

bah to the ferries.

[Ishoutandscream2]

15. Now I'm scared

I'm so confused....

[Ravy]

24. We won't get fooled again! (nt)

[icymist]

27. It's not a harp, or harmonica, or keyboard, ar a Celtic drumbeat,...

nor an untune guitar, nor a disgrunteled bass player, nor five out of work jazz muscians trying to convince an audence that indiscrepet timing on notes leads to music making.

No! yOU GOT IT WRONG. Music IS. Not was. not has been. just is.

[slampoet]

16. Dear FBI, No one is interested in the STUPID effin Ferries!!!

The whole ferry system is incapable of being rammed into anything like a building.


the whole scare is just so someone who didn't get their choice of assignments can try to move up.

We are SICK AND TIRED of your Ferry FETISH!!

[uppityperson]

17. The ferries are part of the highway system and sinking one would cause chaos

at least for those of us who live near them, or use them, or have family or friends who do.

[slampoet]

28. But you could say the same for almost any 50 foot stretch of I-5.

I also don't see this devotion to the Tacoma bridge. (Maybe it's because poor people live in Tacoma and rich people live in Seattle?)

One sunk ferry doesn't snag things in an irreversible way like say.....Minneapolis and St Paul are going through right now?,

A ferry is just one of a few boats that can later be replaced while the rest of the ferry system runs on Holiday Schedules. Seattle rush hour will start at 3am instead of 4:30 am and the world will live on.

And since you ARE in the area you will recall the repeated idiocy of the FBI vis-a-vis the ferry system in the last 6 years in the Seattle area.

Or weren't you around for the "The Terrorists are going to topple the Space Needle" Crap?

[proud2BlibKansan]

18. How frickin stupid

[depakid]

19. "two complaints from passengers,"

WTF is wrong with Washington State?

Reminds me of the one delusional parent who complained in the Federal Way School District and had An Inconvenient Truth banned from classrooms.

[Oeditpus Rex]

20. I'm going to apologize for this in advance

"Nine-one-one changed every string."




:hide:

[AspenRose]

26. That was a plucky response....

eom

[Lisa]

21. wow! My landlady played host to a couple of Seattle Symphony members last week

It's a wonder they didn't get stopped on the ferry crossing, what with their trumpets and french horns and such.

[Ravy]

23. A harp could launch as many as a dozen arrows at one time.

No, really. I saw it on Mighty Mouse once...

[brentspeak]

25. In violation of "for-profit policies".

Let's hear it for privatization of our state and federal services! Yay!!!

:thumbsdown: :thumbsdown: